Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-05-13
Within my breast.
FARM NOTES.

New asparagus beds shosld be very
sparingly cut the second year after plant
ing.
Newly planted grape vines should bear
but single shoot. Layers of old wood
may be made.
Fine, silky hair on an animal indicates
that it will fatten readily, while coarse,
stiff hair indicates the reverse.
1t is Just as easy to break calf to be
led by a halter as it is to do the same
with colt and it will often save labor.
Plant cuttings of grape vines, currants
etc, leaving but one bud on the surface;
crowd the soil hard against the lower end
of the cuttings.
1t has been shown by experience tha
pig digests larger percentage of grain
converting it into animal increase, than
steer COW or sheep.
Branches that were broken during the
winter should be cut near to the trunk,
smooth cut made and covered with
grating wax or thick paint.
Lucerne is a valuable leguminous plant
that thrives in all good soil of a feed cal
careous nature. On wet land it produces
three or four abundant cuttings.
Eggs intended for hatching should not
be over two weeks old. If much older it
takes longer to hatch them, and the
chicks are. ras general thing, not so
thrifty,
The farmer of to day, with brains and
ambition to make his farm pay, must
clear his mind of cobwebs and his back
of moss, and take his garden oIt into the
open field.
If you wish to prevent weeds and grass
from growing on the walk-ways, sprinkle
kerosene oil freely, but be careful not to
get it on the plants you wish to grow
along the borders.
As a sow's filters improve in size and
quality Us the dam becomes older and
their milk usually increases, it is better
to keep old sows for breeding than to
fatten them for pork.
Aged animals should be fed ground
food, as they can not grind whole grains,
the consequence being waste of food,
unless the food be ground. BY so doing
a smaller proportion of food will be re-
quired, while the animals will keep in
better condition.
Evergreen hedges should be trimmed
before they shall have made heavy growth.
III Is NOT uElOus TO brlul buem SOheWnaJ
late, bnt the work should be done before
they shall have become too heavy, 80 as
to save cutting away as much wood as
possible.
Where the surface of the soil ''bakes'
plenty of seed should be used, and they
should be planted close together, as they
will then assist each other to push through
after terminating. The surplus plants
can be thinned out after they shall be we'll
under growth.
Buttermilk, or skim milk thickened with
middlings, makes an excellent food for
young pigs after they have been weaned,
but they should also have grass and cook
ed turnips. Avoid feeding much corn.
Growing pigs should not be made fat,
but kept in thrifty, growing condition.
1t is often remarked that too much ma
nure will produce plenty of vine and but
little fruit. This is due TO the manure
being improperly proportional. An ex
cess of nitrogen (guano or nitrate of
soda) induces an extra growth of vine,
but where the manure contains suffici-
ency of phosporic acid and potash, as
well as of nitrogen, there will not only be
healthy vine but an abundance of fruit
also.
The greatest drawback to dairying is
that the dairymen buy their cows and do
not raise them. Under such a system
there can be very little improvement,
while the average yield of milk can not
be increased. Under the system now
practiced two cows are kept where one
would suffice if they were of an improved
breed. Yet the opportunities for i'm
provemeut are within the reach of all, as
single male will change the Characters
tics of an entire herd in few years.